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6 KILLER iPhone 13 Features That’ll Make You Upgrade
The iPhone 13 – all four of them – will launch during September with a release date shortly thereafter. Here are some of the unique, new features coming to the iPhone 13…
Apple’s iPhone 13 range is coming, and it’ll be here sooner than you think – around September. As per last year’s release, there will be four models: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Also: the iPhone 13 could be called the iPhone 12s too – but we can worry about that later…
2020’s iPhone 12 range was popular but 2021’s iPhone 13 range should be even better, thanks to a bunch of new, innovative features coming to the phones – features you do not get on the iPhone 12.
Nothing is confirmed just yet, but there seems to be a pretty solid consensus on what we can expect from the iPhone 13. Here’s six of its biggest and best new features detailed in full…
1 – Smaller Notch
The iPhone’s notch has been a bone of contention ever since the iPhone X launched way back when. And every passing year since, leaks have claimed the notch would shrink or, better yet, disappear.
The bad news is that the notch isn’t going anywhere on the iPhone 13. The good news is that it will almost certainly be smaller. And the reason? A redesigned camera module that integrates the Rx, Tx, and flood illuminator to allow for a smaller overall footprint.
This rumor was initially published by DigiTimes and then backed up by a statement from Barclays analysts that claimed the notch will be smaller thanks to a “more tightly integrated version of the current structured light system” for FaceID.
Overall, the notch should be about 10% or 15% smaller than it was on the iPhone 12. That’s not a massive decrease in size but it is a start, and it is definitely a move in the right direction towards a notch-less future.
2 – 1TB of Storage
The highest storage you can get on an iPhone right now is 512GB. That’s plenty, even for heavy users. But Apple is apparently planning on adding in an extra tier on its Pro models – 1TB.
If true, an iPhone 13 with 1TB of storage would cost an amazing amount of money – anywhere from $1800 to $2000.
If this is the case, you can almost guarantee that Apple’s 1TB storage models will be exclusive to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, possibly the Pro too. It will not be available on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini.
3 – LiDAR Scanner
One interesting rumor doing the rounds at the moment claims the entire iPhone 13 range will get LiDAR scanners. Now, you should 100% take this with a pinch of salt – it has already been debunked by a few sources, including Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo says the LiDAR scanner will remain an exclusive camera feature aboard the Pro models in the iPhone 13 range. Although, saying that, Kuo has been wrong in the past, so perhaps he’s got his wires crossed here?
It would be a huge boon to Apple’s iPhone 13 camera array if all the models – even the cheapest ones – packed in a LiDAR scanner.
4 – Bigger Battery Life
One of the biggest gripes with the iPhone 12 was its battery life. The inclusion of 5G, and the demands it places on the CPU and battery, resulted in the iPhone 12 having a weaker battery than the iPhone 11.
And it wasn’t a small difference, either.
The iPhone 11 can last around four hours longer than the iPhone 12.
In a bid to resolve this issue once and for all, Apple is said to be outfitting the iPhone 13 range with significantly larger batteries.
How much larger? No one seems to know for sure right now, but it should be a pretty meaty update on all models.
5 – 120Hz ProMotion Display
No iPhone to date has used 120Hz displays. Apple already has the tech to do this, however – it’s called ProMotion.
According to sources, Apple is adopting LTPO display technology on its iPhone 13 range in order to bring ProMotion displays to at least two of the models.
And you guess which ones, right? It’ll be the most expensive iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Samsung will be supplying the new ProMotion 120Hz OLED panels and while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini will not get ProMotion, they should feature updated screens with better contrast and color balance.
If you want 120Hz and ProMotion, however, you will have to pony up the cash for either the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max.
6 – Faster 5G
The iPhone 12 launched during the infancy of 5G. Since then, things have progressed. Modems and chipsets have evolved quite a bit; they’re now more efficient and can deliver faster speeds.
Apple is also expected to increase its shipments of mmWave 5G iPhones in 2021. In fact, more than 50% of iPhones shipped in 2021 are expected to be mmWave 5G, although single 5G band support will be in place on certain models for specific regions.
Barclays analyst are say the iPhone 13 range will feature WiFi 6E, a new standard of wireless connectivity that extends into the 6GHz band for improved performance, lower latency, and improved download/upload speeds.
Bottomline? Your iPhone 13 will be faster on both WiFi and mobile data.
Conclusion
Is the iPhone 13 going to worth upgrading to? I think so, especially if you’re currently running an iPhone 11.
The iPhone 13 will have an improved display, upgraded cameras, faster 5G and WiFi, and a smaller notch. The battery life will be significantly improved too.
As always, if you want access to all of the best new features in the iPhone 13 range, you’ll have to go with the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max.
If you go with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, you’ll basically get everything discussed above, including the new 120Hz ProMotion displays and access to higher storage variants (1TB), although the latter will be properly expensive.
I’m currently using an iPhone 11 Pro and I deliberately avoided the iPhone 12 because I knew there’d be issues with 5G and battery life. It looks as if these issues will no longer be a problem on the iPhone 13.
Chuck in improved mobile data and WiFi speeds, a smaller notch, and a faster CPU, and you’re looking at one hell of an update.
Roll on, September!
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